As we learnt the hard way, don't rely on Apple's Icloud service to do this for you. Instead, make sure you've got the latest version of Itunes installed, hook up your Idevice to your Mac or PC and use the "Back Up" function in order to ensure that you won't lose thousands of photos, videos and contact details.

Download IOS 6Once you've backed up your Idevice, you're ready to download IOS 6. However, unlike the release of IOS 5 you can do this straight from your phone. Head over to Settings > General > Software Update, and you should see IOS 6 ready and waiting to be downloaded.

From here, ensure that you're connected to a fast, reliable WiFi connection, and IOS 6 should download straight to your device. Once installed, your Iphone or Ipad will automatically restart, so don't be alarmed when you're greeted with a black screen.

Of course, you can update your device by hooking it up to Itunes if you prefer. Once you've plugged in your Iphone or Ipad, you should be greeted with a message saying a software update is available. If you don't see this, simply click on your Idevice in the Devices list on the left hand side of Itunes, and hit the Check for Update button.

Stay calmIf you have any trouble downloading IOS 6 - which if last year's IOS 5 release is anything to go by, you might - it's good to remember that millions of people around the globe are also trying to install IOS 6. So maybe leave it for an hour, or until the morning, before trying to download the update again.